04/17/24 - Southeastern to celebrate opening of state-of-the-art Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 [Link]
by: Tonya Lowentritt

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY NOW OFFERED IN SOUTHEASTERN LAB - A student uses the new state-of-the-art Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab located in Southeastern Louisiana University's Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies building. Boasting two three-dimensional optical motion capture systems, three mounted force plates seamlessly embedded within a platform walkway, and a wireless electromyography system, the lab emerges as a hub of advanced technology, and the best in the state.

HAMMOND - The Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University recently announced the opening of its state-of-the-art Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab. To celebrate the occasion, the department is hosting a Grand Opening event at the lab, located in KHS Building, room 150, on Wednesday, April 24, with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place at 11 a.m.
Boasting two three-dimensional optical motion capture systems, three mounted force plates seamlessly embedded within a platform walkway, and a wireless electromyography system, the lab emerges as a hub of advanced technology, and the best in the state.
Kinesiology and Health Studies Department Head Charity Bryan said the motion capture systems allow for the tracking of major segments and joints of the body, providing for a thorough analysis of practically any movement performed. The force plates provide even more information regarding the forces acting on the body when in motion. Finally, the electromyography system measures the activity of select muscles during movement.
"Through the seamless integration of these state-of-the-art tools, the lab is capable of conducting detailed and comprehensive analyses of human movement to help our understanding of human movement across diverse fields - from enhancing sports performance to advancing clinical rehabilitation," said Bryan.
Much of the new lab equipment was funded through a Board of Regents grant and a Southeastern Student Technology Fee Matching Funds grant, which were obtained during the 2021-2022 academic year under the lead of Brandi Decoux and assisted by Ryan Green, Charity Bryan, and Daniel Hollander.
"The equipment funded by these grants includes two large force plates and a virtually weatherproof optical motion capture system capable of being used outdoors, all of which provide a means of analyzing human movement in a variety of settings using technology that is consistent with what is used by clinicians, practitioners, and researchers in the students' future careers fields," Decoux explained. "The Southeastern Student Technology fee also helped to fund the raised flooring platform in which the force plates are embedded, flush with the flooring surface, to create an over-ground walkway."
Much of the lab renovation came as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida during the fall 2021 semester. The Kinesiology and Health Studies Building was one of the facilities on campus that was most impacted by Hurricane Ida.
"A leak in the roof proved to be costly for room 150 of the KHS Building, which was where all of the biomechanics equipment was housed. Due to rainwater that had collected on and below the then wooden floor, and the excessively high humidity that ensued in that room, very little equipment was salvageable," Bryan said. "As a result, the motion capture and electromyography systems were unusable and needed to be replaced. Following all of the damage, though, came the rebirth of a high-value research and learning space for Kinesiology and Health Studies students and faculty to study and analyze how the body moves."
Prior to the acquisition of the new technology, lab experiences for students were limited. Bryan explained. For example, Decoux's past graduate biomechanics class had to rely solely on video-based movement analysis software to carry out their projects.
Decoux's current graduate students were able to start the semester with a project using the video-based movement analysis software and then complete a project with the BMB Lab's new motion capture technology. This enabled the students to spend more time learning how to analyze and interpret the data collected with the optical motion capture systems as opposed to devoting many hours to the slow process of extracting data from videos.

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